March, 2014

Woolrich, whose apparel has been worn by explorers and adventurers since 1830, has teamed up with Jordan Hufnagel and James Crowe of adventure outfitter West America on an epic motorcycle odyssey from Whistler, BC to Patagonia and back. The duo will be wearing Woolrich apparel while documenting their trip and have developed a capsule of apparel inspired by the journey. Below is the a new post in a series of report from the road.

“The boarder crossing into Guatemala is a hectic crossing. Far from what we are accustomed to. After ducking under a gate we found ourselves in the slow motion process of importing the bikes. Stamps, photocopies and a wait in a never ending line to pay for the temporary permits. With about an hour and a half of daylight left we were on our way into the deep canyons leading into Guatemala. The scale was massive, shear cliffs reaching into the clouds and dropping down into the swollen rivers bellow.

We had our sights set on reaching the fresh water pools of Semuch Champey. The route climbed through rugged river valleys and fertile fields filled with crops of various fruits and veggies. The land was very lush and alive. The next morning we jumped in the back of a 4×4 for a bumpy ride into the hills. Its easy to forget how beat the roads are here when you have a dirt bike with a foot of travel soaking everything up. We decided to jump in with a group on a cave tour so we could explore the various water caves that filled the hillside. Guided by candle light we hiked and swam deep into the mountain side.

A short walk from the caves lies the pools of Semuc Champey. A lava flow filled a section of the valley causing a handful of streams to flow into a series of pools rather than the raging river flowing beneath them. It was insane watching the whole valley’s drainage disappear underground only to reappear at the other end of the lava flow. Being the wet season meant the river was running full bore. In the clear pools above the river we found wonderfully warm water. Swimming back home means jumping in and out as quick as possible, it was a nice change. The afternoon was spent soaking in the various pools and jumping off cliffs. Our time in Guatemala was awesome and we both wished it could have been longer. Since we left Oregon later than planned we had to move south pretty quick to reach Patagonia for the end of there summer.”

Fire making is an essential skill. During the winter months, natural fire starting materials can be scarce. But if you know where to look, the forest will provide. The bark from the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) is present year around in the eastern United States and north into Canada.
In this video, Krik of Black Owl Outdoors shows how to find and use this fire starting resource. Watch the video here!

Woolrich, whose apparel has been worn by explorers and adventurers since 1830, has teamed up with Jordan Hufnagel and James Crowe of adventure outfitter West America on an epic motorcycle odyssey from Whistler, BC to Patagonia and back. The duo will be wearing Woolrich apparel while documenting their trip and have developed a capsule of apparel inspired by the journey. Below is the a new post in a series of report from the road.

“Our first rest from the road came in Zipolite. Its a nice little spot on the coast that is know for its nude beach and tranquil vibe. We checked into a sweet hostel built into the cliffs overlooking the ocean for a couple days of sun. Ever since we left the cold NW Jordan has been fighting his beard, at this point it was full of road grime and sadly time to go. Over the coarse of an hour the poor electric shaver bogged through the mess and Jordan came out the other side stoked and ready to hit the beach.

We flailed in the water like seals and bodysurfed the waves. Neither of us have much experience in the ocean so when a big set came in we got checked pretty hard and learned what an undertow was the hard way. The town was super mellow and it was nice to be off the bikes. After a full day in the sun we both went from being two pasty gringos to fully lobstered. Time to cover up and get back on the road. Zipolite was about as far south as we where going before heading east into the mountains and the state of Chiapas. Once again the scenery changed drastically. We went from 90 degrees on the coast to shivering our asses off as we climbed up to over 6000 feet and into the town of San Cristibol de las Casas. We avoided the toll road and found an amazing secondary road that took us through tiny towns of indigenous people living very simple lives. The sunset was insane and we were loving the cool dry air. The night was spent exploring the amazing architecture of the city and roaming the streets for cheep food and pastries. This would be our last stop in Mexico before heading into Guatemala. After our fiasco in Baja we where sure to be more prepared for the crossing ahead. Morning brought rain and it was hard to motivate the body to get on the bikes in the cold after so much sun and nice weather. Luckily, just out of town the road drops its elevation and we where sweating in the sun as we rode towards the border.“

“Two brothers bridging the gap between nature and the modern pursuit.” Black Owl Outdoors is comprised of two brothers from Pennsylvania who have an unrelenting passion for the outdoors. And part of that passion manifests in video form. Stony, the eldest of the two, is the one behind the camera (above at left); and the younger, Krik, is the one in front. Their videos range from plant identification, to bushcraft, to outdoor adventures, to outdoor equipment reviews. “One of our goals is to share the beauty of nature. We understand there are lots of folks who want to spend more time outdoors and are unable to do so. So, when you can’t get outside, we hope to provide a gateway,” says Krik. And by capturing that beauty, the brothers hope to bring awareness to natural resource protection and preservation. “There’s a value in nature that can’t be described or quantified. We want to do our part in preserving these wild places for generations to come.”

You can find their entire library of videos and photography at BlackOwlOutdoors.com. And check back here monthly as we will feature videos, photos and stories from the guys as they continue the outdoor adventure that is Black Owl Outdoors!

Woolrich, whose apparel has been worn by explorers and adventurers since 1830, has teamed up with Jordan Hufnagel and James Crowe of adventure outfitter West America on an epic motorcycle odyssey from Whistler, BC to Patagonia and back. The duo will be wearing Woolrich apparel while documenting their trip and have developed a capsule of apparel inspired by the journey. Below is the a new post in a series of report from the road.

“The ferry ride to Mazatlan was a much needed rest. We both passed out pretty much the whole way and woke to an amazing sunrise as we got closer to the mainland. The bikes needed some love after 1500 miles of dusty desert roads so we found a hostel that would let us catch up on maintenance and work. Neither of us like being in cities much, but luckily the beach was just a minute away and we were able to get some swims in between wrenching on the bikes.

With fresh oil and tune ups we where ready to make some distance again. The mainland was a hole different world, wide roads, new cars and vegetation was a nice change. We worked our way down the coastal highway 200 spending our first night getting eaten alive by sand flies after our map showed a detour that dead ended at a dump on a lagoon. It was too late to backtrack so we just suffered through the night. We woke up bummed and had to ride an hour back to the main road. By the time we made it to Sayulita we where both ready to call it a day and found a nice camp spot up on the hill above town. After setting up camp we got our swim gear on and headed to the beach. As luck would have it we ran into an old friend that we had no idea was living down south for the winter. She was stoked to show us around and took us out of town to an amazing deserted beach where we continued practicing our body surfing for the afternoon.

We had been warned about the two states bellow us, Michoacan and Guerrero. They were both described as lawless states and that we should avoid if possible. After a little discussion we decided to stay on the coast and hope for the best. Our experience was mixed but for the most part everything went smooth. We got off the main road by accident a couple times and where reminded very quickly that we shouldn’t be there. Just like anywhere in the states there are places you avoid. The roads where deserted and there were no police anywhere so we could ride however we wanted. We made good time, and made sure we got into decent towns to spend the night. We got lucky and found some nice small beach towns where we could set up our hammocks for cheep. We had made it through the no go zone and where stoked on the experience. Almost everyone we met put off a very warm and welcoming vibe, but you could tell there was a lot of tensions between the people and the military.”